There are two common mistakes that you should avoid making when working with doctors who therapists who treat you for your physical or emotional injuries a personal injury or employment case:
(a)Avoid saying anything to the doctor that’s going to makes you appear less honest or less likable in the eyes of the court or potential jury. This includes telling your doctor what to write in your medical records in order to make your condition sound worse than it otherwise would; asking your doctor to estimate the cost of future treatment that you might need (this should be done by your attorney and not you); trashing the opposing side, and telling your therapist, for instance, how much you hate the other side. Remember – all this information will be included in doctor’s notes in your records and will be accessible to the opposing side. They will surely use that type information to make you look unlikable and undeserving of sympathy and significant recovery.
(b)Avoid sharing with your therapist information that you don’t want to be known by the other side. Suppose you see a psychologist for your emotional distress associated with the discrimination you experienced at work or wrongful termination. You will want to use those therapy records to support your claim for emotional distress in your case against your employer. If you share with that doctor issues that are not relevant to your termination, such as personal issues with your spouse or family members, etc.., the employer’s attorneys will have access to this information, and will exploit it against you by arguing that most or at least some of the emotional injuries you experience and attribute to the employer’s unlawful conduct are not the employer’s fault, but due to these other issues you shared with your therapist. Thus, if you need counseling for issues unrelated to your case, such as death in the family, suicide attempts, childhood trauma that you are still dealing with, etc… you are much better off seeking separate professional help, so that this type of information doesn’t interfere with your employment case.